Archive for the ‘Fenway Football Challenge’ Category

Concerts and hockey games have recently been held inside the walls of Fenway Park and now soccer has been added to the list.

On the eve of the first-ever Fenway Football Challenge, Celtic F.C. and Sporting C.P. took to the Fenway pitch for the first time in anticipation for Wednesday night’s match (8 p.m.) at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.

Over 30,000 tickets have been sold for this unique event and you can still be a part of the action by logging onto tickets.com/footballatfenway. If you cannot make it tomorrow, tune in on NESN with Jack Edwards and Tom Caron, beginning with a 7:30 p.m. pre-game show.

“It’s surreal,” exclaimed Fenway Sports Group president Sam Kennedy. “It speaks volumes about Fenway Park” and its rich history.

“[Boston is] also a home of champions,” said Britain’s Consul General to New England Dr. Phil Buddon, who was also very excited to see the event come to life. “It’s wonderful to see some champion football teams as we call it back in Britain.”

The event was scheduled just over a week after the conclusion of the South Africa World Cup and Buddon said that the World Cup “showed that this is truly a world sport.” He added that “having this world sport played at such a high level here in Boston shows that Boston is truly a world city.”

Massachusetts state senator Marc Pacheco was also in attendance at the event and was an instrumental leader in putting on the match.

While Buddon and Pacheco announced their friendly picks to win, Kennedy said jokingly that he was “rooting for sunshine” in support of a perfect night in regards to the weather.

At the end of the press conference, Celtic commercial director Adrian Filby and Sporting football director Francisco Costa continued a long-standing tradition of exchanging team jerseys with Kennedy. Both football representatives presented him with team uniforms, while Kennedy presented them with personalized Red Sox jerseys.

Celtic defender Andreas Hinkel was unable to collect his thought when he entered the field. “It is strange,” Hinkel said. “It is a special atmosphere to play in a baseball stadium. It is American history here.”

Filby was excited for his team to play in Fenway as a Red Sox fan from Portugal. “You are dealing with two very historic clubs,” he said. “To come to such a storied ballpark, for me knowing it one of the oldest stadiums in the country means, it is like our club with a lot of history.”

The quote of the night came quietly from Costa, saying that he was very excited and that “you feel some kind of magic here.”

Perennial Scottish Premier League contender Celtic Football Club will take on the storied Portuguese futebol club Sporting Clube de Portugal at Fenway Park on July 21, 2010 at 8:00 p.m in the first Fenway Football Challenge.

The first ever event is being made possible by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, the clubs, the Boston Red Sox, and Fenway Sports Group. Initial match sponsors include Bank of America, Budweiser, Foxwoods Resort and Casino, Gulf Oil, Lumber Liquidators and Nike.

Tickets will go on sale at noon on June 22 at www.tickets.com/footballatfenway and will range from $20 to $120. The game will also be televised on NESN. Plans for broadcasts outside the New England market will be announced later.

The July 21, 2010 match will mark the 19th soccer game played inside the home of the Boston Red Sox. The last time soccer was played at the ballpark was on July 9, 1968 when the Boston Beacons faced Santos F.C., a Brazilian club that featured Pele.